DHL Express has transported three critically endangered black rhinos from Manston Airport inKent, South East England, to the Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, as part of a conservation
initiative by The Aspinall Foundation.The initiative aims to reinforce the reintroduced population of eastern black rhinoceros in theMkomazi Rhino Sanctuary, Tanzania, with the support of Tusk Trust, a dynamic conservationorganisation, as the number of black rhinos has been significantly reduced due to large-scalepoaching. With a wild population thought to number less than 800 individuals, Eastern black rhinoare the rarest of the three remaining rhino subspecies in Africa, according to The AspinallFoundation. It has successfully carried out similar reintroductions and is confident that theheavily guarded reserve will be the perfect place for the three rhinos to give the indigenouspopulation of black rhino a much needed boost.
DHL’s special cargo consisted of one male rhino and two females born in captivity at TheAspinall Foundation’s Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent and now living in the wild for the firsttime.
The rhinos were transported in a Boeing 757, specially modified to ensure best possibletreatment throughout their flight and their safety on board. The aircraft also had enhanced safetyfeatures including lifesaving devices and temperature control. In addition, space was created onboard for two aircraft engineers, two of the rhino keepers from Port Lympne, two aircraftloadmasters and a specialist veterinarian.
Phil Couchman, CEO of DHL Express UK & Ireland, commented: “Our greatest priority was thesafety and well-being of the rhinos; our dedicated logistics experts and engineers in both the UKand South Africa worked closely with The Aspinall Foundation and Port Lympne Wild Animal Park inorder to ensure they had a safe and comfortable journey. It has been an enormously complex butextremely worthwhile logistics effort.”
Working in cooperation with Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks in Kent, the AspinallFoundation is one of the most successful breeders of captive endangered animals in the world. TheAspinall Foundation manages conservation projects in Congo, Gabon, Indonesia and Madagascar andprovides financial support to various partner projects around the world. The conservation charity’simportant work helps prevent some of the most endangered species on the planet from becomingextinct.
Following the successful release of the rhinos, The Aspinall Foundation is now finalising plansfor the release of other endangered animals in one of the most ambitious and wide-rangingreintroductions into the wild.
Damian Aspinall, Chairman of the Foundation, said: “The number of animals that we are releasingwill bring a much needed boost to indigenous populations, currently under the real threat ofextinction. This will include freeing an entire family of 11 captive bred western lowland gorillasas part of the charity’s flagship project in Gabon.”
“In addition to the rhinos and gorillas, The Aspinall Foundation’s Back To The Wild campaign isalso planning to release eight Javan langurs, five Javan gibbons and two African bull elephantsinto protected areas of the wild. This unique and historical event in animal husbandry is only madepossible by the success of the breeding programmes at Howletts and Port Lympne and the worldwidewilderness protection schemes,” he added.
